Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I'm back, and I know it's been a while. Being the final trimester of my school's years have given me a shit-ton of things that I've needed to work on or study for. Nevertheless, I am alive and I bring you a new chapter!
This Author's Notes is going to be quick probably just to tell you guys that I've been contemplating on whether I should include Shepard in my story (specifically MY story, cause I'm not going to be following the ME storyline). Other than that, I may be planning to include OC races into my story (and I won't be expanding the universe, don't worry). This is my longest chapter so far, and I've put a lot of effort into it, so I hope you guys enjoy!
PART 2- THE GREAT WAR
Incursions and VIPs
November 27th, 2525: The SA Commonwealth and Transcendent Essence were attacked by a strike group consisting of three Covenant Frigates. The Transcendent Essence destroyed two of the three frigates while the Commonwealth sent a squad of SPARTANs to destroy the third from the inside. The Transcendent Essence's Captain, Field Marshall Matek 'Lortell, accompanied the trio of SPARTANs to assist them in their task. The end result was the defeat of the Covie strike group while the SA ships survived, but at the cost of Field Marshall 'Lortell's life.
December 1st, 2525: The SA ships arrived at Rokan, a Jiralhanae colony near the center of the main part of SA territory, to inform higher-ups of the events that occurred a few days previous. It was established shortly after the news that a memorial would be established on Sanghelios, 'Lortell's birthplace, after the world is retaken and the war is over. It is noted throughout several colonies that the tensions between Humans and SA aliens are diminishing more from the Human's part specifically towards the Sangheili for the sacrifice 'Lortell made to save the SPARTANs.
March 16th, 2527: The war continues, now having reached a span of two and a half years. The Covenant has been doing significantly better with a higher amount of soldiers than expected, with SA leaders coming to the conclusion that they were training any abled Covie for war. Through several attacks on minor Covenant colonies, it's been observed how all labor and agricultural work is now being done by Unggoy, once again being repressed by the powerful hegemony into slave-like work. This has given more room for the other species of the Covenant to leave their posts to fight in the war.
June 30th, 2529: Almost at five years, planets and stations from both factions have fallen from the wrath of the other. Though so far neither side has made a move against a location of interest or a military higher-up, the battles prove to be more gory for each confrontation that occurs. Death count from the Separatist Alliance with civilians included has now reached over 9 billion, and it is estimated that by the end of the war it will be over 10 times the amount. So far, the only change to compensate for the losses is the fact that treason and lack of cooperation are subjects now more forgotten.
October 19th, 2529: After years of research, shielding units are being spread among Human marines and spaceships. Marines received light shields, being the most numerous among the fields, ODSTs received stronger shields, dropping behind enemy lines and being in the thicker part of numerous battles, and SPARTANs received the shields only Sangheili Field Marshalls and Jiralhanae Chieftain Captains have because of their status as invictus and successful in all of their operations and their high importance in the war. The spaceships now have fusion reactor hybrids, being composed of the original plus a complementary plasma reactor to help power shields for the ship to use.
July 23rd, 2530: The capture of SA Chieftain Captain Lydus was unsuccessful thanks to the helping hand of the SPARTANs. Contrary to initial suspicions, the Covenant was not responsible for this act, but instead served as a mark to the resurfacing of the Insurrection. This frustrated all of the SA leaders, prompting them to be on the defensive and maintain a certain level of paranoia to those around them. Unlike the Insurrection before the Great War, this one is far more clandestine and has proved to be more than effective at hiding, be it within UNSC lines as impostors and moles or in bases with advanced stealth technology. No fully frontal attacks can be made by the SA with their hands tied because of the war, so they prompt troops all around to be completely aware of who they are fighting with.
January 3rd, 2531: SA leaders have begun to plan the operations to take back all of their lost homeworlds. Though the process is going to be long and the time used will prove to be bloody in the war, said plans are becoming more and more thorough by the hour to ensure victory on the homeworlds. Although it is complex, all of the brightest strategists are now on the case. The details are all kept hidden and only discussed to the highest ranking members of the SA to avoid any intel getting to either the Covenant or the Insurrectionists.
March 7th, 2531: A valuable ex-ONI operative that was captured a week ago was located on the Covenant Jiralhanae colony Molae Sarus, to be transferred to High Charity itself. A fleet of 15 ships is being sent to the planet, being commanded by the very prestigious Chieftain Captain Taurus, who will also co-command the ground forces to be sent to the place along with First Lieutenant Avery Jr. Johnson. The platoon that will be retrieving the prisoner consists of 19 Jiralhanae Majors, 19 ODSTs and 10 Sangheili Spec Ops. It is a priority to take back the Human alive, as it is likely that the Covenant knows his importance in terms of knowledge.
14:22 – March 8th, 2531 – Bloody Dagger
Taurus was on his bed, looking straight up at the ceiling, his bond-mate Samallix on top of him. Normally, he would think of something humorous to say about the situation, but he was far too concentrated on the massive amounts of pleasure his groin was receiving. This wasn't anywhere near the first or probably last time he fucked, but the truth of it was whenever he was in the same room as the black furred pulchritude, he became no better than a slave. His eyes closed with an extraordinary amount of pressure, feeling the climax closing in. He lifted his torso a bit, getting closer to bite her neck gently, moving his right hand to her face and keeping the left on her hip still. He knew even if his fangs cut her skin a bit, it wouldn't matter. After all, where Jiralhanae males boasted strength, the females made up in resistance thanks to their thicker skin. Even then, Jiralhanae women were still very strong.
Taurus found he couldn't hold it in any longer and fell once again on his back, letting out a roar in his frenzy. Even with his mind fogged by the intense peak, he felt more than satisfied that Samallix was in a similar condition because of him. It took a lot of practice to know how to make one of his kind's women feel the same amount of pleasure a male would feel normally in a good lay, and his Samallix was a tough one from the start. But, through years of being bond-mates, he learned every inch of her, including what she liked, where she liked it. Finally, it ended, and he slowly started regaining sense of everything around him. Samallix hopped off of him and laid in bed next to him, both panting from the pleasurable workout. It was then that Taurus started chuckling. Samallix turned herself to him, asking with a curious, mischievous grin, "What's biting your ass?"
"Nothing, really. I just find it funny how I've faced squads of Special Operatives, platoons of Hunters, entire armadas of Grunts, Jackal sniper assets, and I come out of each encounter fine and thirsty for cupam. You are the only person I know of who can truly bring me to my knees and make me beg. Ironically, I wouldn't be begging for my life, but rather your cunt." The exhausted Captain replied. Samallix laughed at the thought, another thing Taurus took pride in, and grabbed his cock firmly with her right hand.
"I wonder why that is." She purred with a malicious smile. Taurus hardly choked back a groan, and let it out as soon as she let go. She got out of the bed, back facing him, beginning to grab her armor and place it on, starting with the bodysuit. She then turned her head halfway back and said, "It's best we get ready, we will be coming out of slip-space soon. Your warriors are waiting for you down there."
"I know, I know." Taurus sighed as he looked at the ceiling. Though he enjoyed battle and the adrenaline it came with, he hated when it interrupted these types of moments. Even more so he was annoyed when he knew he wouldn't be going with his old squad who were now all Chieftain Lieutenants or Captains, but rather a fresh batch of Majors. He knew they were no pushovers, but it didn't have the same excitement in it. He was sure they looked up to him and he could make them laugh with the snap of his fingers, but he couldn't shake the thought away of how boring it would be in comparison to other thrilling odysseys he had been in before.
He remembered with a smile his old squad. Before he became the leader, Lydus took him under his wing, teaching him and Tartarus different strategies to use in battle. Sure, Maccabeus was the uncle that trained the pair of siblings in their youth, but Lydus showed them the truth of battle. He showed them that it was not just anger and proficiency in weaponry that truly gave them skill in a firefight, but rather knowing your team, timing your shots and other teachings not given just to any Jiralhanae. Other than Lydus was of course Samallix, there was also the massive beast called Gargantus, and not for any small reason, the intelligent Ceretus and short tempered Bracktanus. The only real anomaly in the squad was Samallix, mainly because female Jiralhanae back then were rare to find in the military. Nowadays, the matter was something completely different. When the Prophets saw the potential in the resistance and threat Jiralhanae females could pose, they figured their recruitment would be a wise move.
Tartarus was in a different team, one with Maccabeus, Lepidus, Parabus, Maladus and Amadeus. The leader of the team was Maccabeus, and like Lydus, eventually left the team and gave Tartarus the responsibility of his old place. They may have been two different teams, but the whole group of Jiralhanae was closer than most throughout their entire race were. Taurus frowned when he remembered how hard it hit Tartarus when the latter received messages from his old team calling him a traitor and questioning why he would stab the lot of them in the back. Tartarus nearly went berserk after hearing the entire video through, and it took his brother and his entire team to calm him down. Later, when his orange-eyed brother calmed down, the two of them alone talked quietly for a long while, Taurus managing to get Tartarus out of his short-lived depression.
"What are you thinking about?" Taurus heard from a now fully armored Samallix. He looked at her, finding her in a more serious position as she stared at him, playfulness gone out of her attitude and replaced by a thread of worry. Taurus looked back at the ceiling and muttered, "Our days of youth. How we would fuck around and have fun in easy missions, such as suppressing the Grunt Rebellions. How we had not a shit to give in this entire galaxy. Now, we have to worry about getting back Dossiac and killing the very people we once called brothers."
Samallix stayed silent, knowing the pain that was created by the very frustrating war. She sat down on the bed, completely shifting the balance with the weight of her armor, and cradled his rather long hair. "I know, Taurus, but they chose their path. As hard as it may be for us and our brothers, there is nothing we can do to convince them of the truth. Right now, the best we can do is fight for the Jiralhanae and their future, because it is among the things at stake in this war. Now go down there and let the battles keep your mind from these cruel thoughts and memories."
Taurus sat up to hug Samallix, a gesture that she returned happily as he sat his head on her cold armored shoulder. Taurus then murmured, "This is why I chose you."
Samallix smiled at him and returned, "And this is why I took you."
Taurus finally got up and began placing on his bodysuit. Whereas Samallix's armor was crimson to mark her rank as a Chieftain Lieutenant, his own was the deep purple that the Covenant liked to adorn on generally everything. Both of their armors were complete with helmets that resembled the Jiralhanae Honor Guards' helmets, with the exception that the orange protruding horns were the same color as their armor, as well as much smaller and bent back. The two had the shielding units that Sangheili Generals and the famous Spartans used, and also housed more room for ammo. Knowing his way around his suit as well as his own name, Taurus finished putting on his armor within less than five minutes. The two looked at each other and nodded, now leaving their room and heading towards the elevator in the hallway outside.
Walking through the violet halls, Samallix turned to him and said a quick goodbye, heading towards the bridge of the ship. She was, after all, his second in command. Taurus was quick to respond, looking longingly at the armored figure of his bond-mate walk away to one of the elevators. It was when she escaped from his view that he let out a very annoyed sigh. For the while, he chose to take off his helmet. Though the weight was much to his comfort, he preferred feeling his head fresh before he would truly need the strong piece of armor. He held it under one of his shoulders and walked on to another elevator, one that would take him to the aircraft depot, where the platoon was waiting. He walked in and turned around to press the button that would take the Captain accordingly, when an arm stopped the doors from closing, interrupting the giant's journey.
Taurus immediately recognized whose arm it belonged to and put on a very straight and cold face, sternly stating, "I see that you have arrived, First Lieutenant Johnson. I trust that my ship has accommodated you and has not given you any kind of dislikings."
The Human of dark brown color and black fur walked through, standing next to him with a scowl on his face, "Well, technically I have to say a yes to that. Though everything here has crappy quality, it works well enough. Though it's not your ship you should be worried about, it's that perfume that smells like ass that you put on this morning."
The doors to the elevator closed as it began its descent, continuing its trajectory despite the commentaries from the Human Lieutenant. For a minute, the two glared at each other, not breaking eye contact and much less their frowns. As much as they both tried, though, the two broke into a smile and ended up laughing hard enough to feel their stomachs ache. Johnson, being the first to recover, questioned with a smile, "'First Lieutenant Johnson'? You've got to be shitting me."
"What can I say, Johnson? I like to recreate different first impressions. And as for my peculiar smell, you will never see me be ashamed of it."
"And why is that?" The giant's friend asked with the same grin.
"Because it's not my own."
"Oh, ho ho ho! Itty bitty Taurus is finally becoming a big boy! Just remember, kid, if you're going to put it in, make sure you use protection! I don't want any little bastards running around my house when they aren't even mine!"
"Relax, you old cunt. I know my way around women better than you know how to smoke your own cigars."
"Now, now, don't get ahead of yourself! It's good to have dreams, Taurus, but not when they're an entire fucking universe away from coming true!" The two gave several hearty laughs and made small talk for a while. As of right now, Johnson had been the only redeeming quality about this mission. The two had been in several ground operations before, and they knew exactly how the other worked. Even outside the battlefield, the two got along excellently, starting to become close considering that they only knew each other well enough to call the other comrade for only three years. Their similar behaviors only strengthened the bond. Eventually, the two settled down and began to talk more seriously as the elevator got closer to the aircraft depot.
"So then, how do you think your ODSTs will fare on the battlefield? I know you Johnson, you are everything but a pansy in a firefight. Hells, you're one of the few Humans that any Jiralhanae would follow with respect, maybe even with admiration. My Majors are not the absolute best, but they know Jiralhanae grounds and territory more than well enough, something I am not sure you could say about your soldiers."
"Believe me Taurus when I say that I don't just pick any marine I find with a thumb up his ass. These are the real deal, and not just because they're ODSTs, I mean these are the soldiers who've been through hell and back. In fact, we were part of the same division."
"I do believe you. Thing is, I can't say the same for my Majors. They may get prideful when it comes to fighting and could perhaps create some undesirable situations. After all, most of them are blood-thirsty, and even more-"
The two stopped talking when the elevator arrived on the second floor of the depot as they were greeted by a loud chorus originating from the first floor. The two walked forward briskly and leaned on the violet railing, looking down at the 19 ODSTs singing one of the oldest and most symbolic war hymns in Human history.
"There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute.
Intestines were a'dangling from his paratrooper suit.
He was a mess, they picked him up and poured him from his boots
And he ain't gonna jump no more!
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die,
Gory, gory what a helluva way to die.
Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die,
He ain't gonna jump no more!"
The two looked around the room and found the Jiralhanae Majors listening intently to the tune sung by the group of war heroes, all Unggoy in the same hall looking at the group with both awe and fear. The Kig-Yar were sizing them up, and if the two friends could read looks, the ODSTs were being sized up fairly well. The Sangheili Spec Ops were looking at the group with respect, and not just the respect they would naturally give to Humans.
The group of ODSTs was then approached by the Majors, the Jiralhanae apparently began talking excitedly with their soon-to-be comrades. Taurus and Johnson looked at each other, the Lieutenant wearing a smile, and walked over to the stairs that would take them to the level below them. Soon they approached the group of thirty-eight, and heard the apparent leader of the Majors query, "That battle anthem's six hundred years old?!"
"Damn right! Well, almost. In less than a decade, it will be though." Responded one of the shock troopers with black hair a bit longer than a buzz cut and skin a bit tanned. It was not the type that was natural, but instead the type a light-skinned person gained under too much sun. And from the looks of him, he looked like someone who trained a hell of a lot more than most especially under the sun.
"I have to say that is impressive! I did not think your species had as much experience in war as you actually do. I thought you would be more like the Kig-Yar."
"Experience? Hell, that anthem's only six centuries old. We've known war for several millennia!" the same ODST replied in his strong, southern accent. The large group looked at the arrivals and soon saluted the two. Whereas the ODSTs kept their palms and fingers straight where their foreheads were with their right hands, the Majors hit their left breastplates with their right fists and slid them to their bottom-right ribs. If Taurus remembered his history lessons correctly, it meant that they were ready for battle. The gesture itself was one of cutting the two hearts the Jiralhanae had with a dagger, hence the initial punch or stab at the first heart and then sliding the fist or dagger to the other heart. Though the his species had risen to a space-faring state and fallen back to a pre-technological state several times, the salute was among the few things to have stay alive in the race.
The two seasoned soldiers returned each their respective salutes to the combined crowd of Humans and Jiralhanae alike, before Taurus said, "It is time we get aboard the Phantoms. We'll be arriving within seconds and we will not waste time that the Covenant can use to call more groundside reinforcements, understood?"
"Sir!" The crowd yelled, the soldiers pertaining to his kind with eagerness in their voices. Johnson then took the liberty of continuing, "All right, we won't be able to keep an eye on you all, so we'll be having our second in commands leading nine of you like us. Eddy, I'm sure you'll open more than a can of whoop-ass on anyone that gets in your way. You'll be my second in command!"
"With pleasure, Johnson!" the tan ODST from before replied proudly. Taurus then stepped forward and turned to the Major 'Eddy' had been talking to. "If I understand correctly, you're Mactus. Reports say you've been successful in your missions, and equally successful when it comes to women. I respect that, and I will be placing the lives of nine of the Jiralhanae on you as my second in command. I trust that you will not get your cock in a knot, can you prove that you're able to do this task?"
'Mactus' held his ground firmly despite the hardly suppressed laughter of the others at the Captain's knack. He shouted with pride, "Of course, sir! I will not let you down, sir!"
"You can keep the 'sir', Mactus. I prefer to be called by my rank or my name rather than have my rear's end drip wet with saliva. I leave the ass-kissing to my rivals, not my squads." The Captain responded with a smirk. Once again, the group roared with laughter, leaving the Major to smirk at himself as well. It was much better to laugh at himself than pick a bone with one of the most dangerous Jiralhanae alive.
The ship rumbled and the group shook as they all dropped out of slip-space. Johnson now wore a stern face and shouted, "It's show-time, everyone! Let's go aboard the Phantoms and rain hell on those Covie bastards!"
The dark skinned man's second in command soon followed suit and cried, "You heard the man! Move your asses and get aboard the aircrafts!"
All scurried towards the lavender ships when the two leaders were stopped by one of the Sangheili Spec Ops, who still had not placed her helmet on. She bowed her head as she respectively recognized the ranks of the two, "Chieftain Captain Taurus, First Lieutenant Johnson, I am Sangheili Spec Ops warrior Roana 'Kariss, I shall be leading the other Spec Ops warriors under your command. We are all equipped with active-camouflage units and Energy Swords. Should you need it, we can be a stealth unit capable of assassinating any targets of strength."
The two looked at each other, then back at her with Taurus answering, "Of course, 'Kariss. We'll make sure to put your warriors to good use. And don't worry when I mean good use, we won't be using you all for target practice or bait. Now go, warrior. We best make haste if we are to retrieve the VIP."
"Of course, Captain, Lieutenant." With that, she walked with vigor towards her unit, who then walked under a Phantom and soon after levitated into it. Taurus and Johnson followed her lead, and went through to another occupied aircraft and stationed themselves inside of there. They crew of fifty felt their stomachs drop as they left the artificial gravity of the Assault Carrier, and had a feeling opposite to the one before when they felt the purple airships enter Molae Sarus's gravitational field.
"We are reaching the base of interest, Captain Taurus!" bellowed the pilot taking the platoon near a desert-like terrain, interrupted by a smooth mountain of mauve. The side doors opened and the troops hopped out, the crew placing their helmets on before doing so. They looked around to find an arid, rocky land. Everything around the seemed to be plagued by a color that could only be described as the missing link between a vivid red and a dark brown. Off in the distance they could see the Covenant base, a good five hundred meters away, standing tall and majestic. Despite the winds robbing the ground of sand, the violet outpost was impeccable on the outside, the metalloid shining under the intensity of the system's blue star.
Taurus looked around and smelled the aroma of the place. He could not smell any scouts or patrols from the fanatical Hegemony nearby. Having done that, he turned on the air filters in his helmet and looked around to nod to the rest, a sign interpreted by the platoon as one that they were safe so far. Taurus smiled, and began to say, "A woman was working at a specialized Jiralhanae breeding facility. She was going through the day's records when a Chieftain in full armor barges in, pointing a Spiker at her.
"The woman, who had a bottle of sperm in her left hand was shocked at the scenario before her and raced her hands, still grasping the bottle. The Chieftain yells 'Drink it!'. The woman, shocked, asks 'What?!'.
"The Chieftain once again roars 'Drink the semen in the bottle!'. The woman opens the bottle and quickly fulfills her assailant's demand. The Chieftain then takes off his helmet, to reveal that he is her bond-mate. Seeing her shock, he takes the opportunity to say 'See? That wasn't as bad as you said it was.'."
The entire platoon roared with laughter, most not expecting to have their Captain prepare quite a witty joke in the midst of the situation. Most ODST were holding on to a Major to keep themselves from falling to the ground, or at least, the Majors who weren't leaning on each other for the same purpose. Even the Sangheili, honor-bound as they were, could not restrain their amusement. Soon, though, they stood up straight, and at Johnson's and Taurus's signals, they trotted towards the violet structure.
Jogging along the way, one of the ODSTs remarked, "You know, I should try that out with my wife one of these days."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Dave. Somehow, you keep forgetting that your wife still kicks your ass when it comes to target practice." Another of the ODSTs from the stampede replied.
"Dammit, Carol, you should at least be more open to suggestions! You drive me to resort to an ape's comedy material to get you to try something new!" The initial ODST yelled back.
"HEY! My comedic skill is an excellent source of advice and wisdom! I will not have you spit on it and pretend it to be anything less, you insolent wench!" Taurus barked from the front.
All laughed while jogging, hurting their sides as they continued to run briskly to the location they were sent to invade. Only a few more seconds passed before Johnson and Taurus sent the signal to slow down and hide behind several boulders ahead of them. They separated into several mixed groups, no longer running as they took cover behind the large, protective rocks. Taurus, at the right edge of the boulder he hid behind, peeked to the other side.
He smiled at his luck, for he and his platoon had the advantage of a higher ground. The uneven terrain they had run through ended in a small edge, being two to three meters the difference between where they stood and where their enemies resided. The enemies themselves were nothing out of the ordinary. Several Covie Majors and Ultras reigned over a large amount of Unggoy and Kig-Yar that served as cannon fodder. He saw no vehicles in the area or Hunters guarding their leaders. The only wild card they could pull was if they had a reserve of Yanme'e, which still did not oppose too much of a threat to the prowess of the multi-raced platoon.
Taurus frowned in annoyance as he saw several Shades placed atop of boulders similar to the one he and his comrades were using. He began to formulate a plan that could lead to the quickest destruction of the enemy forces when he felt a light punch connecting to his left arm. He stopped spying his opponents to find Johnson's visor to be clear, showing to the large warrior his face. It had a look of clarity that Taurus was more than aware of. He grunted in annoyance and nodded his head to his friend. Johnson beat him to the punch.
"Alright, we've got about eighty Covies, sixteen of which are Ultras or Majors. Other than those, there are about six to eight Shades all occupied by grade-A assholes above some of the large rocks on the field. 'Kariss and her team are going to activate their cloaks and take them out when I give the signal. As soon as they do, the rest of us are going in, guns blazing. If we're gonna hit 'em, we're gonna hit 'em hard and fast, 'cause as soon as they know that we're here, they're gonna activate the alarms, guard the base and call reinforcements. Now ready on my mark."
Several distorted figures which could easily be passed off as the heat's effects moved near the boulders under the turrets. Dirt came off as the figures climbed the large masses, feeding curiosity to the occupants fighting for the Covenant. They were about to shout to their leaders about the enemies when Johnson whispered through the comms, "Now!"
The fight ended almost as soon as it started. 'Kariss's team had been more than successful, killing the Shades' occupiers as soon as Johnson gave the word, while the extra two Sangheili threw a fair share of plasma grenades at the commanding officers, killing three and wounding four. About to shoot at the now visible team, the rest of the platoon ran out of their cover and ran to the disoriented Covies, guns blazing. Suffice to say, the fight was short, mainly due to the fact that the least powerful weapon among the forty Humans and Jiralhanae was a shotgun.
The crowd trotted forwards at Taurus's order to come closer to the Covenant base, only a few dozen meters away. They were finally at an entrance which Taurus then analyzed. He looked around, taking the wholeness of the outpost into view and nodded. "Well, we truly have had a tremendous amount of luck. My radar is not picking up any sign of enemy movement coming towards us. It is likely that we killed the enemy resistance with such speed that they had not the chance to make their leaders aware of the danger coming. This is fortunate, for we are at the rear entrance. We are, however, far too many to move through undetected. Not to worry though, I already have a plan. Yes, that means you can keep your mouth shut, Johnson."
The crew laughed once again before the Jiralhanae went on with telling his plan, not giving any time for Johnson to make a witty comeback. "This is the rear entrance, which is generally used for emergencies. That is why it is far more elongated and thin than the frontal gate. So, if all of us went through here, through which we could arrive far more quickly to the location of the VIP, then it is likely that his guards shall execute him upon order. That is why a good forty of us will create havoc near the entrance where it is far more guarded. This would make their commanders summon as many soldiers as they can to where we will hold out, leaving the ten that will enter through here with higher chances of retrieving the VIP. I will be taking all of my Jiralhanae, and I expect at least half of the ODSTs to accompany us."
"Fair enough. I'll be leading the squad of five ODSTs, including yours truly, to where the man is. I'll be needing five of the Spec Ops troops for the element of surprise, while the rest can go with you Taurus. Eddy, this is where you come in. You'll be leading the fourteen ODSTs that aren't mine. The other five Spec Ops are also your responsibility, so watch over them. 'Kariss, you're coming with me. I need an expert when it comes to base layouts and it wouldn't be half bad to have the help of your squad when it comes to stealth." Johnson barked. The Sangheili nodded, and motioned for four others under her command to follow her.
Taurus then got closer to the man and murmured, "This is where we part ways, Johnson, but only temporarily. Believe me when I say it is hard for anyone, Covenant or not, to get rid of me."
"Trust me, big man, I ain't going anywhere just yet." The Lieutenant remarked. Though both of their faces were hidden behind helmets, both could tell that the other was smiling behind it. Taurus then turned to his men and shouted, "Let's go remind the Covenant that we show no mercy in war!"
The rest of the Jiralhanae and Sangheili roared at that while the ODSTs cried 'hooah'. Taurus then sprinted to the left of the entrance with the force of thirty-nine warriors following closely behind, leaving the group of ten Humans and Sangheili behind. The Captain then turned right as a smooth turn in the base's wall did the same. Though he went in the same direction as the wall, he ran more to the left to give and his warriors and himself some space. As much as he wanted to greet his opponents face first, his duty was to hold out to bring out as many Covies as he could. For that, he would need cover and space between his large team and the base's residents.
Now being a couple of dozen meters away from the base again, he smiled to find the terrain ahead to be far more rocky, filled with covers he could use. Now at least a hundred meters away, he signaled for the platoon to stop as the base turned smoothly to the right once more. They found the front of the base.
He groaned slightly when he saw that the ground at the front of the base had no such rocks and was instead quite flat. Basically, a half circle of flat dirt stretched for a good hundred meters, which would give them no cover. In the terrain's stead, several metallic covers were placed by the Covies to protect the dozens of soldiers of their own. If they weren't enough, then he knew the Wraiths, Revenants and Ghosts were. It was going to be tough, but maybe, just maybe, they could all come out of the operation alive.
"Warriors, this is going to be more than tough, but I'll bet anything that we can pull through this. Ten ODSTs will stay here on the left of the base with the fuckers in range, while my Majors and I will take cover in the front. The remaining ODSTs and Sangheili will go around unnoticed to the right side of the base in a place similar to that of the ODSTs that will remain here. When I give the signal, we shall all strike with our strongest weapons and destroy as many enemies as we can before they call to the base for reinforcements. Beware of their Wraiths, for they shoot upwards, not forwards." Taurus then motioned to the Jiralhanae and the group ran, not getting caught by the armada of fanatical soldiers. After they took their places behind several boulders once more, the Captain looked at the mixed squad of ten running past them towards their designated spot.
"On my mark." The giant whispered. All readied their weapons at the unsuspecting soldiers of several kinds, all looking rather relaxed at their posts. Taurus jumped out of his cover with his Brute Shot in hand and roared. "FIRE!"
Bullets, shotgun shells, explosives, grenades and countless other projectiles fired from the weapons the SA soldiers held. They quickly destroyed the vehicles closest to them and killed at least half of the two hundred enemies in the area. Taurus took cover again when the other side started shooting at them. He put his left hand to the side of his helmet and shouted, "That is your queue, Johnson! Get in there and find the VIP!"
"On it!" Taurus heard. He took his hand off his helmet to look up to find a secondary blue orb in the sky. He recognized the blue star first, and when he saw the other, he jumped out of the way to dodge the Wraith's mortar. Now in the open, he holstered his Brute Shot and took out his Spiker, pointing it towards the enemy soldiers with his right hand as he ran for more cover along his side of the field. He still had a couple of spikes left by the time he rolled back into another cover, though he still reloaded for good measure. He holstered it to place his hand on his helmet to cry, "Spec Ops warriors, your priority is to hijack any vehicle you can! Using them against the bastards could give us an advantage!"
He took his hand off again before he could hear the response of the five to roll again to dodge another shot of a Wraith. He scowled as he looked at the scenery before him. His soldiers trying to shoot while dodging the heavy fire of the Covies' vehicles, and beginning to be hit by their shots. Now angered, Taurus growled, "Seven Hells."
Once more, he ordered through the comms, "Cover me!"
With that, he ran to the enemy's territory at full speed. Several Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Yanme'e, Hells, every species that the Covenant had to fight for them got in his way. He felt more assured in his sprint when he felt the shots hitting him few and rare. Any enemy that got too close for comfort was immediately eliminated by his platoon. He kept on running as he got closer to one of the Wraiths, finally getting close enough to pounce at it and beat relentlessly at the entrance above it. As soon as it was destroyed, he stuck a spike grenade inside along with the Sangheili Ultra commanding it. He hopped off as the Wraith lit up in a blue explosion, flames dancing on its corpse. He grabbed his brute shot once more, firing several shots at group of Unggoy standing nearby. He felt the rifle click when the magazine was empty, and grabbed it backwards to use the blade on whatever the Hells was closest to him.
Not what he had in mind, he once again dodged as this time it was the arm of a Mgalekgolo that nearly struck him. Being faster than the tank-like being, he jumped behind it to stab the blade in the middle of its back, sliding it to cut as many worms as he could. The titan fell, not having been fast enough to avoid the Captain's strong jab. Taurus looked up to find several Jiralhanae that weren't his running to kill him. He placed the rifle on his back to grab his Spiker with his right hand and lift the Hunter with his left arm. Using its body as a shield, he fired several short, quick bursts, maximizing the weapon's efficiency. It was not long before they fell, yet as they did, a Ghost approached at full speed and rammed Taurus who still held the Hunter to protect him.
As his shields died, he felt as if he were flying. He soared at high velocities a few meters above the battlefield before he crashed at one of the Bubble Shields activated by those within it. He bounced off of it due to its resistance to that sort of damage and fell belly first to the ground. He looked around to find that the rest of his platoon was having a hard time as well, constantly being pummeled by the enemy. He turned to see that the Bubble Shield popped out of existence and the few Sangheili Officers inside of it took aim at him. He hopped to his feet despite how his body complained in pain and ran at the gang with only his fists. His Spiker had long since been lost.
He punched the first of the three Sangheili in the face, knocking her to the ground, and kicked the second in his abdomen. The third one alone, not even managing to shoot him, fell as he grabbed the reptile's head with both hands and forcefully broke his neck. The first Officer was getting up when she was stabbed by an Energy Sword, her comrade's Energy Sword, and looked at the skies as she grieved for her honor in her last few breaths. Taurus pulled out the blade of energy and in a second beheaded the second Officer.
The Captain tensed as he heard a Wraith shoot at him from behind, and quickly looked at the corpses in hopes that his luck would save him. That it did, for the second Officer still had an untouched Bubble Shield. With speed and dexterity, he activated the shield two seconds before the bright blue mortar crashed atop of it. He stood up, now holding some of his ribs likely cracked to inspect the situation around him. The vehicles were fewer, and three of the Covies' Ghosts were hijacked by the skillful Spec Ops warriors, all of which were concentrating on a single Wraith. Another had a Revenant that was helping the warriors groundside that needed the aid. The fifth was nowhere in sight. He looked at the Wraith that shot him, a good dozen meters away, stupidly firing again at his impenetrable Bubble Shield. Two more were near it, as well as several Jiralhanae Majors, Sangheili Ultras and a couple of Mgalekgolo.
He knew he was mere seconds away from death if he did nothing with the time his Bubble Shield was left. Being in the center of the mayhem was not favorable in anyway, and he could only think of one thing that might save him from it. Remember the difference, Taurus, it could be the means to glory in survival or shame in death, Lydus's voice echoed. Taurus took a deep and unsheathed his Vengeance hidden in his violet armor. The dagger's blade was extraordinarily fine, and even more valuable, as it was crafted from the strong, bright white Forerunner alloy. The blade was a whole meter long and twenty centimeters high, its width being the shortest at only one centimeter.
His heart's beats fastened and the adrenaline kicked in. He felt his Warrior's Rage kick in. The shield fell and Taurus sprinted faster than the Wraiths could fire, running behind the one firing at him and stabbing the cylindrical hole in its backside. He ignored the explosion and stabbed one of the Majors in the eye, ending another's life in a flash in a swing after he pulled out the dagger from the first's corpse. Three Ultras neared him with their Energy Swords in hand, ready for close quarters combat. What they were not ready for was close quarter slaughter.
Taurus dodged all of the slow stabs and slashes. Everything moved slowly and he took an advantage of it. He plunged Vengeance into the middle one's neck, and grabbed the Energy Sword falling from her hand to stab it to her partner on the right. The energy blade pierced the right one's eye, not giving her time to scream or roar in pain, and soon fell with her comrade. He let go of the Sangheili's blade and sheathed Vengeance to look at the third, who was shocked at the speed of the Brute. The third made the mistake of going for a lunge, which cost him his right arm as Taurus grabbed the arm mid-stab and ripped it whole from his body. The Sangheili let out a throaty bellow, and Taurus punched the warrior with all his might.
He looked up to find another Wraith nearing him ready to shoot. The Captain quickly grabbed the third, still on the ground and crying in pain, and threw the body just as the Wraith shot its mortar. The body was destroyed and Taurus was safe, something he also took a large advantage of as he rushed to the back of the Wraith to break his arm through its cylindrical hole and destroy anything in it. He heard a noise approaching from behind him and quickly unsheathed Vengeance with his right hand again, which gleamed brightly in the blue star's rays.
He rolled as the Revenant failed in its attempt to ram him and quickly charged after it, quickly getting himself on top of it. He stabbed at the Kig-Yar's eye, ending the miserable Jackal's life in a mere second. Lying on top of the vehicle he found a Ghost coming close at normal speeds to shoot him, to which he responded by hiding his blade again and jumping to the back of the Revenant to grab it. He lifted it as he spun around until he gained enough strength and velocity to throw the pink, metallic war-mobile at the Ghost with such a force that it destroyed both.
Now, he had the dagger in hand, panting, almost challenging at anything to come at him. Only one thing responded as the third Wraith finally got close to him. He was not sure if he would be able to stop the shot, and was about to sprint once more when the top opened and one of his Sangheili Spec Ops popped his head out to shout, "Enemies neutralized, Captain!"
He looked around the field to find the gore of his enemies staining the ground. Several small mounds of metal remained from Ghosts that had likely been attacked with heavy ordnance weapons. Many Revenants were looking to be following the same lines, and many Wraiths had their tops burnt as they had been eliminated along with their drivers. As for the corpses, they were numerous, leaving the sands tainted by a vast amount of multi-colored gore. He was relieved to find that none of the corpses were his platoon's. The thirty-nine came close to the Captain, all looking with awe and fear at the veteran's display of power. Nothing was said as they were interrupted by the gates opening to a small team consisting of six Humans and five Sangheili.
Johnson had his helmet off, which was being carried by one of the other ODSTs, and had the VIP's right arm around his neck to help carry the man. The man himself was one of messy black hair with a small beard growing from his inability to shave. Taurus looked and more closely at his face and found him to be in pain, as his eyes, blue or green, looked only to the ground lifelessly. Johnson nodded his head to Eddy, to which the latter responded by taking Johnson's place and helping the ex-operative. Johnson then took back his helmet and held it under his arm as he walked up to his large friend. The Human remarked, "Damn, I missed a lot, didn't I?"
"Look at the bright side, the mission was a success." Taurus spat out as he felt the pain he ignored before returning in full strength. Johnson questioned, "Something the manner?"
"Gods-damned Covies were rough. There were probably more than two hundred ground soldiers on the field, and at least a dozen vehicles. The good thing is we took no casualties." The giant grunted in response. He then nodded his head to the VIP and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
"Turns out about a month ago the squad his wife was in was killed by some Innie moles. He's still pretty shaken up about her death. Apparently that's a reason why he resigned his post as one of ONI's operatives." Johnson said, shaking his head at the poor man's luck. The Lieutenant looked behind the Captain and shouted, "EDDY, DODGE!"
The other ODST instinctively shoved the VIP out of range as an Energy Blade swung from nothingness and made the soldier fall back. As the lone Sangheili decloacked and raised his right arm, 'Eddy' pulled out his shotgun and quickly ended the gator's life with an explosive boom. The headless Covie dropped besides him lifelessly, as two ODSTs ran quickly to the man's sides to lift him up. The platoon's two leaders ran close to the man and found the gash not to be too deep, something to be fixed quickly by one of the Pelicans heading down to get them.
"See? You idiots still think your snipers and your SMGs are actually useful, but you tell me if there's any other weapon that could've gotten the job done like a good shotgun." The man coughed out while probably wearing a smile. Johnson looked at him, chuckling, "You're one of a kind, you know that, right?"
"Damn right I do, and I take full pride in that!" The prideful ODST cried. The crowd heard a Pelican coming down, back door already open for the troops and waiting. Taurus motioned, "Come on, Johnson, and take your friend with you. It's time to leave."
Taurus walked up to the VIP, who was now standing with some difficulties, and grabbed him by the upper torso, carrying him to the Pelican. As soon as they got on, Taurus got on the closest seat to the back entrance and sat the man down on the opposite end. Soon came Johnson, 'Eddy' and a couple more ODSTs and Sangheili. As they all sat down and strapped the safety belts, save for Taurus who had his weight, the black haired man gave a weary sigh and put his face in his left hand.
"Have you anyone left?" Taurus asked.
"Pardon?" The man replied at the sound of the deep Jiralhanae's voice.
"Have you any family left?" The giant repeated.
"I have a daughter, but my wife-"
"Then you have not lost all. Besides, if she is truly your daughter, then your wife lives in her, no matter whether she is dead or not. I doubt you would abandon your depression because the SA demands you to, but if you won't do it for them, do it for her. I don't doubt that she needs you alive and well physically and mentally now more than ever." Taurus interrupted, eyes looking directly into the man's eyes. The VIP nodded at him, and then sank his head back into his seat, passing out almost immediately. He was more than likely tired of his nights in his prison and his dreams of his departed wife, Taurus thought, Hopefully, he will improve.
The Pelican's thrusters began to take them to the skies above as Taurus watched out the back to SA Phantoms heading down to pick up the rest of the platoon. His eyes widened as several more joined them and shot down those of the Alliance. They dropped countless troops, firing against his tired platoon, now killing several at a time. He used his helmet's visor to zoom in on the fight, finding that despite the initial losses, the thirty-three were faring well. They were in the middle of the battle when a lone Phantom came and dropped off a single Jiralhanae covered in golden armor. All shot at him, but when he unholstered his hammer Taurus knew the battle was over. He turned and bellowed to the pilot, "FULL SPEED! WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A TRAP!"
Everyone aboard the Pelican save for the passed out VIP had looked horrified at the scene without even being able to speak. They were not given the chance to talk either as the Captain roared into the comms to the SA Shipmasters, "BEGIN THE SLIP-SPACE COUNTDOWN! IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE MY UNCLE'S MEN COME IN FULL STRENGTH! WE LEAVE AS SOON AS THE PELICAN LANDS ON THE BLOODY DAGGER!"
As the Pelican neared the Bloody Dagger, the ramp closed, but not before Taurus caught sight of the newly arrived Super Carrier and several slip-space portals appearing nearby it as ships came out. The Pelican quickly landed in the Bloody Dagger and soon the ship, along with the small fleet, left the system, barely escaping Maccabeus's wrath.
Author's Notes: Now, before you ask, the Sangheili did laugh, which just goes to show how hilarious Taurus can be. I hope you've enjoyed, because I probably won't be writing for the next three weeks due to finals 'n' shit. All constructive critics and reviews are welcome, and it's been a pleasure writing again.
The Almighty Afroduck,
All Hail